As the Ball Drops
by ImaSupernaturalCSI
Summary: A lot can happen in ten seconds...


**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of "CSI:NY" they belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.**

**Author's Note: Happy 2010 to all! Since I didn't put up a Christmas one this year, I decided to do a New Year's one. Like it, love it, hate it, please drop me a line!**

_**10….**_

Lindsay is glad they left Lucy with a sitter. It's raining and cold, and the huge crowd would positively terrify the little one. She's bundled up in her warmest jacket, direct from Montana. They make 'em better out there. A hand snakes into her hair and pulls her close. She looks up into a pair of blue eyes. 2009 sure didn't seem like it was going to end well. But now…now she thinks it will.

_**9…**_

Danny is freezing. The motorcycle jacket is not near warm enough. This isn't the first time he's brought a girl to Times Square to watch the ball drop. This isn't the first kiss he'll share with a beautiful woman at midnight. But as her brown eyes meet his in the final seconds of 2009, he knows this year it'll mean more.

_**8…**_

Mac is holding Stella's hand. He's glad she's there to share this moment with him. Their team has gone through so much in the past few short months. Between Angell…and Flack…and Danny, and Sheldon…Gloved fingers squeeze his hand and he looks over at her. All the unhappy thoughts from 2009 are forced from his mind, and he has hope that 2010 will be better.

_**7…**_

Stella can tell his mind isn't in Times Square. His eyes are glazed over, and he's staring at the back of a full-dressed Marine in front of them. She squeezes his hand, and he looks at her. She smiles, and gets a genuine smile back. She had wondered if she'd ever get a real smile out of him. The countdown is getting louder, and she turns her eyes to the 12,000 pound ball atop 1 Times Square.

_**6…**_

The crowd is absolutely crazy, and Lindsay's getting jostled like crazy. She feels her husband pull her tight against him, hoping it might be a buffer. She can't hear herself think over the sound of the countdown of the final moments of 2009. Then Danny tilts her head so she's looking at him again. His mouth forms the words "I Love You" and although she can't hear them out loud…she can hear them.

_**5…**_

He's not going to kiss her. The only time he's ever kissed anyone in Times Square at midnight was when he and Claire first moved to New York. He's not ready to do it again. Five seconds left in the year. He finds himself holding Stella's hand tighter. He wonders, though…if he _did_ kiss her at midnight…would she mind?

_**4…**_

He can see the ball slipping down the pole in her eyes. Her cheeks are bright red, and he's sure he can hear her heart beating at like 300 beats a minute. Or maybe that's his. She's grinning like an idiot. But he's pretty sure he is too. Standing there since she got off at 3:00 that afternoon is worth it, just for the look on her face. He's lucky he's got an in with the NYPD.

_**3…**_

He's standing off to the side of the crowd, if that's possible. He's not on duty, thank God. He remembers being a beat cop and working this event for a few years, and how bad it sucked. You got a front row seat to watch the ball, but you had to deal with the tourists. He had wanted to take her to see it this year. They'd talked about it, they even both had early shifts, so they could've gotten there early. He's tempted to go home, but something is keeping him from leaving. The last three seconds are always the loudest.

_**2…**_

To hell with it. He's not waiting until the clock hits midnight. He pulls Lindsay close , tangles his hand in her hair, and kisses her like crazy. He's never been good at waiting. Every single horrible, awful thing that happened in 2009 is erased, and his mind rings in the New Year with thoughts of the beautiful woman holding him in Times Square, and the little angel with his eyes waiting for them at home. He's ringing in 2010 on a high note.

Mac finds himself counting along as the last two seconds of 2009 fade into oblivion. He hears someone next to him yelling even louder, and he looks down quickly to see a smiling Stella counting down as well. She looks happy, happier than he's seen her in a long time. With one second left, he gives her a hug. 2010 was already starting in the best way he could think of.

_**1…**_

Damn it, he's not going to cry. He's damn NYPD detective, damn it, and he's not going to cry. She'd be laughing at him. She probably _was_ laughing at him. But, God, does he wish she was here.

And then he feels it. Warm breath, right next to his ear. Chills creep up and down his spine, but it's not the weather. He glances around, but he's standing in a doorway, and there's nobody else around him. The scent of jasmine shampoo fills the space he's standing in, and it almost drives him to his knees. "Auld Lang Syne" fills the air, and he can hear the words being screamed in the air. Thousands of happy people ring in the New Year. And as the song fades into "New York, New York", the jasmine disappears, and his face his suddenly cold again. He puts a hand to his face, and wonders if he's losing his mind.

He steps out from the doorway, and gets a face full of confetti and bright shining lights. And he knows…he knows without a doubt, that she had been there, watching with him, and that she'd rang in the New Year with him.

"Happy New Year," he whispers softly, and the crystal ball atop 1 Times Square seems to twinkle at him.


End file.
